Cartems Donuterie vs. Lucky’s Doughnuts

The last time I visited Cartems, they were still in their little pop-up shop near Pigeon Park. Since that time, they’ve opened a permanent location on West Pender, closer to the downtown core. I figured this would be a good time to do a comparison between Cartems Donuterie and Lucky’s Doughnuts.

The obvious similarity starts with their boxes… with Cartems being slightly darker in hue. But you’re not here for the boxes…

I must admit that Cartems’ new location is nicer than their previous pop-up shop. Prices are $15 for 6 dougnuts. I found that the doughnuts at Cartems are all fairly similar to each other in style and quite oily (there was a large pool of oil in my box).

As doughnuts go, they’re not bad. Of the ones I tried, I think I liked the Earl Grey, Chocolate Chip Mint, and Citrus Dust the most.

Next up is Lucky’s Doughnuts (clockwise from top-left): the Classic Old Fashioned, Blueberry Crumb Cake, Chocolate Old Fashioned, Coconut Bismark, French Cruller, and the PB&J.

I like how the doughnuts at Lucky are very unique from one another. The old fashioned doughnuts are classics if you like a cake-type doughnut and you can’t say “no” to the airy cruller. If you’re looking for a fun doughnut, the square-shaped PB&J has jam piped into all four corners.

When it comes to doughnuts, it might just come down to personal preferences. Overall, between the two, I’d probably pick Lucky’s.

The chocolate old fashioned is my favourite — I love the tiny flakes of dark chocolate on top, and that it isn’t overly sweet. Goes perfectly with their outstanding cold brew. And now they have a doughnut and coffee for $5 deal that makes the duo even more irresistible!